Agriculture and Food Policy

Agriculture & Food Policy

Agriculture policy from the 2007 Green Book:

  • Focus on producing Saskatchewan food for Saskatchewan and reduce our dependence on foreign, long-haul produce by developing and investing in new energy efficient greenhouses.
  • End subsidies to corporate agriculture and shift resources to developing local value-added / processing industries such as pasta plants and slaughter houses with a focus on developing these industries in rural areas.
  • Provide subsidies and mentoring to help farmers make the switch to more sustainable organic farming, and helping them to lower inputs and increase net profit.
  • Increase research grants given for the study of organic and low input farming practices, to make Saskatchewan a global leader in the field.
  • Help lobby for changes within the Canadian Wheat Board to allow for the development of rural value-added processing plants.

Agriculture Resolutions 1998-2011:

2011.16  Genetically Modified Food Labelling

Be it resolved that the GPS work toward the adoption of provincial legislation requiring the mandatory labelling of genetically modified foods sold and produced in Saskatchewan.

2011.17  Genetically Engineered Food

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Saskatchewan will work to prevent food crops and food animals containing altered or foreign genetic material from other food and non-food species from entering our food distribution network. For example Enviropig genetically engineered to produce low phosphorus manure contains a mouse promoter gene segment and a gene from E.coli bacteria in its genetic makeup. In addition, GE salmon which are a genetically engineered fast growing Atlantic salmon contain a growth hormone gene from Chinook salmon and genetic material from an ocean pout (eel-like creature). Green Party MLAs will work to ensure that genetically modified food is not found on our grocery shelves.

2011.18  Sustainable Agriculture

Be it resolved that Green Party MLAs will promote sustainable agricultural practices while eliminating harmful confined animal feeding operations and strengthen the government’s control over genetically engineered foods.

2006.8  Ban terminator gene plants

Be it resolved that plants that have the genetically engineered terminator gene be banned from Saskatchewan.

2005.7  Support reforms to meat industry

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Saskatchewan supports those farmers, farm groups and organizations which are advancing an alternative beef industry system for Canada:

  1. Breaking dependence on the U.S. market by stressing the Canadian market and the overseas export market;
  2. Creating a series of locally owned and controlled meat packing plant across Canada;
  3. Full testing of animals and the creation of local brands for meats;
  4. Move to more natural methods of meat production, without use of hormones and antibiotics to artificially promote growth;
  5. A move towards family farm production instead of intensive livestock operations;
  6. Prepare for the oil peak by moving to local production, processing and distribution.
2005.8  Protect rights to seeds

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Saskatchewan supports the campaign by the National Farmers Union and others to guarantee and enshrine in legislation the inalienable rights of farmers and other Canadians to save, reuse, select, exchange, and sell seeds.

2005.12  Support organic agriculture

Be it resolved that the GPS supports the elimination of the annual $100 million provincial subsidy spent by the Romanow / Calvert government on Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) Food such as GMO wheat and,

Be it further resolved that the GPS supports research development of Saskatchewan organic agriculture.

2003.10 (1)  Conditional support for Federal-Provincial Agricultural Policy Framework and support for farm families and rural communities

BE IT RESOLVED that a Green Party of Saskatchewan Government would support the elements of the Federal - Provincial Agricultural Policy Framework Agreement that encourage the development of high quality and safe food products all along the value chain, and certification that such food production is from environmentally sound and sustainable practices,

And furthermore, a Green Party of Saskatchewan Government would work diligently within the broad elements of the Agricultural Policy Framework to support and sustain Saskatchewan family farms and rural communities,

And furthermore, a Green Party of Saskatchewan Government would work to a full reform of the existing farm safety-net programs to create a system that supports environmentally sustainable practices and which supports independent farm operations and farm cooperatives, but would not support corporate agribusiness ventures.

2003.15  Limiting non-resident ownership of Saskatchewan farm land

BE IT RESOLVED that a Green Party of Saskatchewan Government would limit non-resident ownership of farm lands and prohibit foreign ownership of farm land.

2003.16  Control of intensive livestock operations

BE IT RESOLVED that a Green Party of Saskatchewan Government would limit the spread of intensive livestock operations and carefully monitor and control those already in operation for sound, humane, environmental and health considerations. We will encourage smaller scale operations.

2003.17  Oppose patents on life and genetic information

BE IT RESOLVED that a Green Party of Saskatchewan Government would oppose all patent claims on living organisms or genetic information.

2002.1  Promotion of certified organic farming

BE IT RESOLVED that the GPS adopt the following specific policies for the election platform for the next provincial party:

  1. Introduce policies that will encourage farmers to grow the healthiest, most nutritious certified organic food possible.
  2. Abandon the agriculture chemical policies of the previous provincial governments.
  3. Devote agricultural research programs to soil improvement by using legumes, crop rotations and organic fertilizers to improve the soil, control weeds and pests.
  4. Introduce policies that will develop self-sufficient farms and communities.
  5. Subsidize the building of solar heated straw bale greenhouses at appropriate latitudes to grow vegetables in all seasons, particularly in the winter to provide fresh certified organic food, to create employment, and to reduce energy used in transporting food from California and Florida.
  6. Amend the regulations governing the dairy industry so Saskatchewan citizens could enjoy unpasteurized fresh certified organic whole milk. At present we can only get this milk from Quebec.
  7. Subsidize the growing of certified organic orchards of fruits that are native or viable to Saskatchewan, fresh for home consumption, canning, making jams, jellies, wines, etc.
  8. Develop research programs for fruit that isn’t native to Saskatchewan to adapt to this climate.
  9. To encourage the production of certified organic food, we would serve it in all government operated restaurants, in hospitals, universities, technical schools, and school lunch programs for the purpose of providing the healthiest food possible to students, patients and staff.
  10. The Department of Health would appoint a negotiating committee to negotiate prices for certified organic food with representatives of certified organic farmers.
  11. Our government would subsidize certified organic food for pregnant women, people who suffer from chemical allergies, school lunch programs, food banks, low-income families and school milk programs.
  12. Our government would establish a pollution tax on agricultural pesticides and other polluting activities for the purpose of paying for the transfer to the production of certified organic food.
  13. Our government would establish a sewage corporation to assist communities in the province to irrigate from their sewage lagoons to prevent the pollution of downstream water going into other communities’ potable water supplies where it is proven to be no risk of contamination to ground water or soil.
  14. Our government would convert rural service centres from chemical farming information centres to organic farming information centres.
  15. Our government would establish a subsidized farm training program to give young people an opportunity to work or train on certified organic farms to prepare them to take over family farms.
  16. Our government would establish a water-testing program to identify water supplies that are not polluted with pesticide residues and other undesirable pollutants. We would also develop a program to protect the same water supplies from pollution for the use of Saskatchewan citizens.
2002.5  Promoting Local Economies

BE IT RESOLVED that A Green Party of Saskatchewan government would promote policies that favour local communities and their economies. Part of this policy would be promoting decentralization of such things as food production and energy. This policy would also favour family farms over corporate style farms which cause damage to the environment. Green Party of Saskatchewan policy would empower local communities so they could protect their wooden grain elevators and say no to giant hog barns.

2002.9  Support for class action lawsuit against GE pollution

BE IT RESOLVED that the Green Party of Saskatchewan actively support the suit by the Saskatchewan Organic Directorate against Monsanto Canada and Aventis Canada for compensation for damages to crops and markets by the introduction of genetically engineered canola. The Green Party of Saskatchewan strongly supports the right of farmers to grow organic crops, the right to farm organically, the right to serve organic markets, and the right of consumers to eat food that is not genetically engineered.

2001.5  Genetically engineered wheat

RESOLVED that all forms of genetically engineered wheat be banned from Saskatchewan.

2000.3  Sustainable Agriculture

RESOLVED that the Green Party of Saskatchewan will work with other interested groups in pressuring the federal and provincial governments to develop programs that through education and tax incentives will encourage farmers to adopt organic farming practices.

1998.8  Farm policy and rural development

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Saskatchewan support family farms, co-op farms, producer co-operatives, and producer-controlled marketing boards; and be it further resolved that the Green Party of Saskatchewan will actively support legislation such as exists in Nebraska and other U.S. states which ban corporate farming; and be it further resolved that the Green Party of Saskatchewan will actively support ecological, sustainable and organic agriculture and the creation of an alternative food processing and distribution system.

Platform 2007: Agriculture and Food

A GPS government will support ecological agriculture, marketing boards, co-ops, food security, and local processing and distribution.

A GPS government will end subsidies to corporate agribusiness and support a move to organic agriculture.

Platform 2003: Agriculture and Food

A Green Party of Saskatchewan government will support the family farm system of production and will encourage the Federal Government to also finance the transition to ecologically sound, sustainable and organic agriculture that supports independent farms and farm cooperatives rather than large agri-business ventures, and so will:

  • support a food production, processing and distribution system which encourages a Saskatchewan grown and processed food industry
  • support the creation of a provincial Food Charter and then will work with local communities to ensure that the safe food and nutrition guarantees of the Food Charter are met for all Saskatchewan citizens.
  • limit non-resident ownership of farm lands and prohibit foreign ownership of farm land
  • limit the spread of intensive livestock operations and carefully monitor those already in operation to ensure that they will adhere to sound, humane, environmental and health considerations. We will encourage smaller scale and environmentally sound operations.
  • oppose all patent claims on living organisms or genetic information.
  • subsidize the building of solar-heated straw bale greenhouses at appropriate latitudes to grow vegetables in all seasons, particularly in the winter, to provide fresh certified organic food, to create employment, and to reduce energy used in transporting food from California and Florida.

Platform 2003: Biotechnology

A Green Party of Saskatchewan government will halt all new introductions of genetically engineered organisms into the environment and ban genetically engineered wheat from Saskatchewan, including test plots.

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